Labh Lakshmi

The order in which the teams bat is determined by a coin toss. The captain of the side winning the toss may elect to bat or field first.

The 11 players from the fielding team go out to field while only two from the batting side go out to bat. The other 9 wait in the dressing room and go out to bat one after the other as when someone is out or when a player retires. Each batsman wears protective gear and carries a cricket bat.

Now the game progresses by the bowling of balls. The sequence of events which constitutes a ball follows:

Cricket Basics-Field

A cricket field is a roughly elliptical field of flat grass, ranging in size from about 90 to 150 metres (100-160 yards) across, bounded by an obvious fence or other marker. There is no fixed size or shape for the field, although large deviations from a low-eccentricity ellipse are discouraged. In the centre of the field, and usually aligned along the long axis of the ellipse, is the pitch , a carefully prepared rectangle of closely mown and rolled grass over hard packed earth. It is marked with white lines, called creases, like this:

The game of cricket includes

Cricket Ball:

Hard, cork and string ball, covered with leather. A bit like a baseball (in size and hardness), but the leather covering is thicker and joined in two hemispheres, not in a tennis ball pattern. The seam is thus like an equator, and the stitching is raised slightly. The circumference is between 224 and 229 millimetres (8.81 to 9.00 inches), and the ball weighs between 156 and 163 grams (5.5 to 5.75 ounces). Traditionally the ball is dyed red, with the stitching left white. Nowadays white balls are also used, for visibility in games played at night under artificial lighting.

Basics of Cricket

Cricket is a team game of two teams of 11 players each and in some ways resembles baseball. There are two forms of cricket-

1- Test matches and
2- One Dayers

Test matches are played over 5 days while one-dayers are 50 overs a side each. ODIs- The game starts with the toss of a coin. Whoever wins the toss can decide to either bat first or bowl first. In case a team bats first, they have to try and score as many runs as possible so that the other team finds it tough to beat the total. If the opposition managed to successfully chase the score set by the team batting first, then they are declared the winners of the game.

Many theories have been put forward suggesting origin of cricket. Extensive studies and research have been conducted to trace the history of cricekt and they have come out with different versions. However it is commonly accepted that the game originated from a very old leisure activity indulged by shepherds. The shepherds used crook and other farm equipments to hit a ball like deceive which used to be made up of wool or stone.

The first evidence of cricket being played was recorded in the year 1550, by the pupils of Royal Grammar School, Guildford. In the year 1611 it is reported that two young men from Sussex were punished for playing cricket instead of going to the church. The first match is recorded to have been played at Coxheath in Kent in the year 1646.

Earlier cricket used to thrive greatly as a gambling game. People used to place huge amounts of bets in matches and thus the game started to get recognition. Cricket was in fact a major gambling sport towards the end of the 17th century. It is recorded that in the year 1679, a 11-a-side match was played with stakes as high as 50 guineas per side.

Overview:

Cricket has been played as a recognized sport since the early 18th century. The origins of cricket are obscure, and there are several theories on how it started. One is that shepherds used to play it – one would stand in front of the wicket gate to the sheep fold, and another would bowl a stone or something at him, and he would have to hit it with his crook, which was known as a cricce.

Schedule of Upcoming Cricket Matches

Upcoming Cricket Matches

Cricket News
Press Trust Of India Sep 12, 2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have pipped Sachin Tendulkar to the ICC ODI Player of the Year award but Adam Gilchrist believes the Little Master is still the best batsman around.

Here on a promotional tour, Gilchrist said he does not doubt Dhoni’s ability but Tendulkar is simply the best.

ICC awards
10 Sep, 2008

The 34-year-old left-hander, a mainstay of his side’s batting for over a decade, was chosen ahead of his three fellow nominees – Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn.

During the voting period, the gritty Guyanese played eight Test matches, scoring 819 runs at an average of 91.00, including three centuries and six fifties, all of which were against the top seven teams in the world.

“I am honoured to be given this prestigious award tonight and I am very thankful to God for blessing me with the talent that I have,” Chanderpaul said upon receiving his award.